In crowdfunding, funders often have very little or no information about the social entrepreneur and the venture. This asymmetric information hinders funding in that potential funders only make a pledge if they can trust the entrepreneur and the seriousness of the project. Thus entrepreneurs have to signal information to potential funders. In the case of conventional ventures, this means showing that the company is committed to the financial returns or the quality of the product, for instance. However, in the case of social enterprises, entrepreneurs can signal their commitment to a social or an environmental challenge. The information that entrepreneurs want to convey to potential funders depends very much on the type of crowdfunding. The type of crowdfunding determines whether the entrepreneur is pitching to potential investors, lenders or potential consumers and general supporters of the project. While investors tend to be more concerned with the financial returns, the quality of the product or service tends to be the variable that matters most to the potential consumer. This thesis examines the crowdfunding campaigns of social ventures in order to understand how to crowdfund social enterprises. It identifies the signals with which, social entrepreneurs try to attract funding through different types of crowdfunding, mainly reward-based. It finds that reward-based crowdfunding offers a good basis for social entrepreneurs to attract funding by advertising and signaling their commitment to social or environmental issues. This is all the more true when the social enterprise seeking to be crowdfunded only aims to be financially autonomous and thus cannot offer attractive financial returns to potential investors.

Darbe analizuojama socialinių įmonių, kaip novacijų, raida ir išryškinamos socialinio darbuotojo veiklos galimybės. Literatūros analizė atskleidė, kad socialinės įmonės raida – naujas, netyrinėtas reiškinys Lietuvoje. Darbo teorinėje dalyje apžvelgiama novacijų samprata ir reikšmė užtikrinant žmonių socialinę raidą, pristatoma socialinių įmonių kaip novacijų sąvoka, teisinis reglamentavimas, atskleidžiami socialinio darbuotojo veiklos galimybių šioje srityje teoriniai aspektai. Kokybinio tyrimo fenomenologinė duomenų analizė parodė, kad socialinės įmonės raidos etapuose susiduriama su šiais trikdžiais: teisės aktų vėlavimu, informacijos stoka, didelėmis laiko sąnaudomis steigimo etape, socialinių ��monių įstatymą įgyvendinančių įstaigų darbuotojų kompetencijos ir geranoriškumo stoka. Atskleista, kad atsinaujinusios įmonės veikloje iškyla žmonių išteklių valdymo problemų: sunku rasti norinčių dirbti, sudėtingas darbuotojų adaptacijos periodas. Tyrimo metu išsiaiškinta, kad novacijos idėjos įgyvendinimą skatina noras palengvinti finansinę naštą ir pagerinti materialinę bazę. Dirbdami socialinėje įmonėje tikslinėms grupėms priskiriami asmenys turi galimybę realizuoti save, bendrauti, kelti savivertę, didinti materialinę laisvę, bet tuo pačiu metu pasireiškia netolerancija, stereotipai žmonių su negalia atžvilgiu, savo negalios nepripažinimas. Tyrimas atskleidė socialinių problemų lauką visais novacijos raidos etapais. Tai galėtų būti socialinio darbuotojo veiklos sritis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the work development of social enterprises as inovation is analysed, and possibilities of activity of a social worker are highlighted. Analyses of literature revealed that development of a social enterprise – is a new phenomenon that has never been investigated in Lithuania. In the theoretical part of the work a conception of inovation and its meaning for securing people’s social development, is surveyed, the concept of social enterprises as inovation, juridical regulation, are presented, theoretical aspects of possibilities of a social worker in this sphere are revealed. Phenomenological analyses of data of qualitative research showed, that at the stages of development of a social enterprise one collides with this interference: lateness of juridical acts, lack of information, huge expenditure of time at the stage of establishment, lack of competence and generosity of workers of institutions that implement the law of social enterprises. It was showed that in the activity of a renewed enterprise problems of management of human resources are raised up: it is hard to find people who want to work, a complicated adaptation period for workers. During the research it was explicated that implementation of the idea of inovation is induced by a wish to facilitate financial burden and to improve material base. Working in a social enterprise, persons that are attributed to the purposive groups, have a possibility to realize themselves, communicate, raise up self-value, increase... [to full text]

Members of the Gitga’at First Nation are committed to supporting the ecological integrity of their territory, as well as the vitality of their community and way of life, through carefully selected and implemented local development initiatives. This case study focuses on community member perspectives on ecologically supported cultural tourism. The first objective was to describe aspects of the local context shaping perspectives on tourism development. The second objective was to synthesise perspectives on the appropriate use of resources and on the appropriate application and sharing of local and elders’ knowledge for tourism. The third objective sought to identify services and linkages with other institutions considered important for a business aligned with local development priorities. There is potential for eco-cultural tourism to support local needs and interests if its development is directed and controlled by the Gitga’at and is based on a process of deliberation within the community.

Members of the Gitga’at First Nation are committed to supporting the ecological integrity of their territory, as well as the vitality of their community and way of life, through carefully selected and implemented local development initiatives. This case study focuses on community member perspectives on ecologically supported cultural tourism. The first objective was to describe aspects of the local context shaping perspectives on tourism development. The second objective was to synthesise perspectives on the appropriate use of resources and on the appropriate application and sharing of local and elders’ knowledge for tourism. The third objective sought to identify services and linkages with other institutions considered important for a business aligned with local development priorities. There is potential for eco-cultural tourism to support local needs and interests if its development is directed and controlled by the Gitga’at and is based on a process of deliberation within the community.

abstract: This research examines the experiences and perceptions of immigrant and refugee women social entrepreneurs located within a context of economic instability, as well as the strategies that they develop to cope with such crises and volatility. To conduct this research I used a mixed-method, qualitative approach to data collection, including semi-structured, open-ended interviews and a focus group. I used feminist theory and a grounded theory approach to inform the design of my study; as such I acknowledge the participants as knowledge producers and allow for them to add in questions to the interviews and focus group and to comment on drafts of the written portion of the dissertation. The findings have indicated that these women are surviving the economic crisis by combining different income streams, including social entrepreneurship, traditional jobs and state and non-profit-aid. Moreover, the participants have found that besides monetary value, social entrepreneurship also provides alternative benefits such as personal sovereignty in their work environment, work-life balance and well-being. Also, personal history, and family and community embeddedness contribute to women's decisions to pursue social entrepreneurship. This research contributes to the growing body of research on gender and work and fills the gaps in literature currently existing in social entrepreneurship. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Justice Studies 2015

Social enterprises have responded to personalisation of social care with enthusiasm as they aim to improve communities, investing profits into social or environmental aims (The Plunkett Foundation 2010). Personalisation has, likewise, heightened interest in services offered to people with disabilities, beyond those offered by local authorities and the NHS. The goals of the social enterprise in this study reflected the values of green care, which enables engagement with nature to produce health, social and education benefits (Fieldhouse & Sempik 2014). Green care and personalisation can both be understood from an occupational perspective, based on the idea that occupation sustains well-being in individuals. If social enterprises can create person-centred occupational experiences for people, they can play an important part in bridging the gap between traditional care settings and community participation. This research examined a social enterprise involved in food growing using a permaculture approach (Holmgren 2011); addressing the question: What is the occupational experience of people with and without disabilities participating in an inclusive horticultural social enterprise? This qualitative research used participatory action research (PAR) and critical ethnography as methodologies to build a case study of the social enterprise. Methods used were photography, mapping, and other accessible modes of data collection. Two PAR groups involving twenty-two people were convened, followed by six key-informant interviews. A reflexive log was maintained throughout project planning and PAR processes. Participants contributed to data analysis, identifying early themes, and interviews added context to the three final themes: Exclusion within inclusion; choice, transformation and ownership; and people, place and participation. As a result of the study the author considers that there are a number of governance and power challenges within green care social enterprises but these organisations have a role in addressing marginalisation through reducing bureaucratic barriers to social change and increasing skills for resilience and sustainability.

Current, unsustainable practices are negatively impacting the socio-ecological systems on which humanity depends. This paper argues that social enterprise, as a market-based approach is an effective tool to help developing countries to transition toward sustainability. To gain an understanding as to how broader participation in social enterprise could be encouraged, this research investigates the motivations, enablers, challenges and incentives for professionals in developing countries to participate in social enterprise. In addition, the role of social enterprise and its limitations in moving society toward sustainability were investigated. A qualitative research design was used. The framework for strategic sustainable development (FSSD) was employed to ensure a systems perspective of sustainability was captured in this study. Findings include seven motivational factors, eight enabling factors, and twelve challenges facing social entrepreneurs; as well as seven categories of suggested incentives to increase participation. Strategic recommendations targeted toward government agencies, non-governmental and multilateral development organizations, and social enterprise incubators, were provided as guidelines to encourage participation and ensure sustainability.

Bakgrund: Tidigare studier på området socialt entreprenörskap visar på att sociala företag syftar till att skapa socialt värde. Hur detta värde skapas har dock varit svårt att konkretisera. Med anledning av att flera sociala företag med fokus på att öka mångfalden på den svenska arbetsmarknaden grundats de senaste åren, är det av intresse att studera hur dessa företag skapar socialt värde. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för hur sociala företag, i samspel med organisationer i andra sektorer i samhället, kan skapa socialt värde genom sitt arbete för en ökad mångfald. Metod: Studiens forskningsdesign är av kvalitativ karaktär och följer en abduktiv ansats. Studien undersöker ett socialt företag och dess partnerföretag och deras gränsöverskridande samarbete i form av ett mentorskapsprogram. Empiriinsamlingen har utförts genom kvalitativa intervjuer, etnografi samt dokumentstudier. Slutsats: Studien finner fem olika aspekter som beskriver hur socialt värde kan skapas genom ett samarbete över sektorsgränserna i samhället. Den första aspekten som identifierats är möten, vilken är den mest centrala förutsättningen för att kunna skapa socialt värde i ett gränsöverskridande samarbete. Utöver den aspekten finner studien att ansvarstagande, samverkan, nätverksskapande och kulturskillnader är aspekter som bidrar till socialt värdeskapande. / Background: Previous research within social entrepreneurship has shown that social enterprises are aiming to create social value. How the value is created is hard to concretize. Due to the fact that several social enterprises focusing on increasing the diversity of the Swedish labor market have been founded in recent years, the key interest is to study how these enterprises create social value. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of how social enterprises, in collaboration with organizations across sectorial boarders in society, can create social value through their aim for a higher diversity on the Swedish labor market. Method: The research design is of qualitative nature and follows an abductive approach. The study investigates a case in the form of a social enterprise and its partner companies and their cross-sectoral cooperation in the form of a mentorship program. Empirical collection has been conducted through qualitative interviews, ethnography and documentary studies. Conclusion: The study finds five different aspects that describe how social value can be created through cooperation across the sectoral boundaries in society. The first aspect identified is the meeting, which is the most central prerequisite for creating social value in cross-sectoral cooperation. In addition to this aspect, the study finds that responsibility, collaboration, networking and cultural differences are aspects that contribute to social value creation.

廚餘分生廚餘與熟廚餘兩種 ，熟廚餘為養豬廚餘，因利用價值高，在市場上是炙手可熱的，生廚餘卻因儲存方式不易，易產生臭味，許多人將其丟入垃圾，當作一般垃圾處理，但生廚餘含有大量水份，若生廚餘當作一般垃圾焚燒處理的話，會減少繁化爐的使用年限，以及產生有害氣體。近年來有許多民間團體引進了利用生廚餘所製作的環保酵素（Eco Enzyme）來解決生廚餘的問題，但推廣上仍有許多人因為環保酵素的氣味與其為垃圾廚餘所製而成，在使用意願上較為卻步，本研究將環保酵素（Eco Enzyme）製作過程增加篩選步驟，也因為這個篩選步驟，成為本創新研究中品牌品質信心的關鍵。本研究第二個目的希望能創新一個社會企業，能接受全職母親除了家庭外瑣碎的閒暇工作時間，讓全職母親除了能兼顧家庭外，也可以有個讓他自我價值提升的事業。 / Kitchen waste can be classified into raw kitchen waste and cooked kitchen waste. The cooked waste is pig kitchen waste. Because of its high value of utilization, the cooked kitchen waste is hot in the market, while the raw kitchen waste is deserted due to its difficult storage and odors and disposed as general waste. However, the raw kitchen waste contains a large amount of water and it will reduce the life-span of incinerator and the production of harmful gas if it is disposed in the ways of general waste incineration. In recent years, many civil groups have introduced the Eco Enzyme made from raw kitchen waste to solve the problem of raw kitchen waste. However, in terms of promotion, many people’s sage intention steps back because the Eco Enzyme is made from kitchen waste and its odor is also a factor. This research aims at adding a screening procedure in the process of Eco Enzyme production. It is this screening procedure that becomes the key to building the brand and quality confidence in this creative research. The second target of this research is in the hope of innovating a social enterprise which can accept a full-time mother’s trivial spare working time except the time for family, providing a career which can realize the promotion of self-value for the full-time mother while balancing her family.

There is no recognised legal structure for social enterprises operating in South Africa and as a result many are running two or more legal entities. This has created confusion and skepticism in the market place, specifically when it comes to funding these enterprises. By using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research study draws from a small sample to create an understanding of the dynamics that social entrepreneurs are faced with when choosing an appropriate structure. It then draws a correlation between South African social enterprises and those internationally in order to compare the revenue generated from earned income and grant funding. Furthermore, the research compares and discusses the correlations between the forprofit and non-profit social enterprises and how these compare with regards to generating revenue and sustaining their activities. It outlines some important principles of social enterprises which include that they: (1) are mission focused, (2) can access funding in order to scale, (3) earn sufficient income to sustain their operations and (4) provide a social return on investment. The research highlights both similarities and differences between the various entities and suggests an optimal framework for the South African context that guides social entrepreneurs, investors and funders of social enterprises.Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted